Effect of Combination of Curcuminoid Standardized Turmeric Extract With Acupressure on Inflammatory Markers, Endorphins and Quality of Life in Elderly People With Osteoarthritis Genu

Background. One of the degeneration processes that occurs in the elderly is the musculoskeletal system. These deteriorations include bone loss and a decrease in joint fluid volume which is exacerbated by bearing the weight of the body. Pain in Osteoarthritis patients affects many areas of quality of life such as physical function, emotional behavior, and mental health. Osteoarthritis-related pain is a major factor in poor quality of life. The most common pharmacological treatment to control pain is the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), but these drugs carry the risk of causing side effects. Limitations associated with pharmacologic treatment result in patients choosing commonly available alternative therapies for pain management. Popular alternative therapies include herbal therapy, therapeutic touch, relaxation techniques, music therapy, acupuncture, and acupressure. This alternative therapy, unlike the use of drugs, does not produce dangerous side effects.

Research on the effectiveness of herbal therapy on inflammatory osteoarthritis patients was conducted in Indonesia in 2009 on 80 sufferers with the result that administration of turmeric rhizome extract curcuminoids significantly suppressed the activity of synovial fluid monocytes to secrete Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and Reactive Oxygen Intermediate (ROI), reduced leukocyte numbers and fluid Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. synovia and reduces Osteoarthritis (OA) joint pain, with an ability that is not significantly different compared to diclofenac sodium therapy 3x25 mg per day. Furthermore, the development of herbal therapy for Osteoathritis continued with research which proved that the combination of ginger, ginger, soybean and shrimp shell extracts provided significant results in reducing joint pain, stiffness and physical disability which were evaluated based on the Western Ontario and McMaster values. Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and did not show a significant difference when compared with meloxicam.

Research that has been carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of acupressure therapy for the pain of Osteoarthritis patients was also carried out in several countries, including by study on 40 Osteoarthritis patients who were divided into two groups (intervention and control). In the intervention group, acupressure therapy was given for 5 days with a duration of 30 minutes each time. The results showed that the average pain score in the intervention group decreased significantly from 5.89 at the beginning of the study to 4.11 at the end of the study, while the pain score did not change substantially in the control group. These findings remained consistent after adjusting for age, weight, and pretreatment covariates. This study supports the evidence that Acupressure therapy provides an effective option for short-term knee pain relief in patients with knee Osteoarthritis. In line with the results, there was research which was conducted on 51 elderly with osteoarthritis divided into 3 groups (acupressure intervention, placebo and control). This study revealed that respondents who received acupressure therapy for 3-4 weeks with the duration of each therapy being 10-15 minutes, showed a significant reduction in the total WOMAC index, pain and physical dysfunction.

So far, there has been no research combining standardized curcuminoid turmeric extract therapy with acupressure for inflammation and pain in osteoarthritis patients. More clinical trials with appropriate methodology are needed to confirm the effectiveness of standardized turmeric extract, curcuminoids and acupressure to treat physical problems in osteoarthritis patients.

Study Design/Methods. The research will be carried out by design Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT). Respondents will be divided randomly into 2 groups, namely treatment and control. The treatment group will receive interventions, namely herbal therapy and acupressure therapy, while the control group will receive active placebo (capsules containing starch and acupressure massage at points that are not to provide comfort for knee pain). In this study, a double blind technique was used , that is, the subjects and researchers did not know which respondents were in the treatment group and which respondents were in the control group.